KAWAH PUTIH AND A TEA PLANTATION SIDETRIP

A day before, we met a taxi
driver. He offered a direct transport
from our hotel to Kawah Puti, south of Bandung.
Travel time is approximately three (3) hours. We slept early and woke up before the break
of dawn. We waited for the taxi driver
but he was nowhere to be found.

After almost an hour, we
finally decided we’ll commute through public transport to our next
destination. And the adventure then
began.

GETTING THERE

From our hotel in Bandung
City, we took the cab to Leuwi Panjang Bus Terminal. We took a van to Ciwidey (IDR6000) and then a
mini-bus (IDR7500) should have been available to the entrance of Kawah Puti. Unfortunately, there were less tourists and
the van driver keeps on offering chartered rates to us instead of the usual
commute fare. Motorcycle is also
available for a rent of IDR50000.

After a series of negotiations
and waiting time, we accepted the proposal for a chartered van towards the
entrance of Kawah Puti and with a side trip to a nearby tea plantation at a
rate of IDR300,000.00. For me, it turned
out to be the best choice given our circumstance.

THE TEA PLANTATION AS A SIDETRIP

The long and winding dirt
road of a bumpy ride was all worth it as soon as we arrived at a vast acre of
land with hills carpeted in green.

One of the famous landmarks
in the Ciwidey area is the lake Patengan, a lake surrounded by tea plantation. But for time constraints, we skipped the
latter and just passed-by a nearby tea plantation of an unknown name (at least
for me).

We are in the Southern part
of Bandung in a small town named Ciwidey.
The tea plantation was indeed picturesque. There were peddlers offering tea leaves and
bags directly sourced from the plantation, according to the local. Since I am not fond of tea, I dismissed the
idea of buying one for either myself or as a souvenir or gift for family and
friends.

KAWAH PUTIH

One of the main reasons why
we travelled to Bandung is to discover its outskirts and Kawah Putih is
definitely in the top list. We have been
warned that the area smells like rotten eggs.
And it is.

Upon arrival at the entrance
gate, there is a queue for the mini shuttle bus that would take all guests to
the crater. In the absence of any
strenuous and tiresome trekking, I immediately concluded this is going to be a
good one. Tickets for Indonesian citizens
(IDR18,000) and for foreigners (IDR50,000) are different by a high margin. It is costly to bring your own car as parking
fee is expensive. Fortunately, our local
driver though of chartered transport was able to make a way that no fee shall
be charged for his parking. We after all
chartered the mini-van used for public transport.

Before we could step on the
concrete pathway leading down the lake, there are masks available for
rent. I could smell the rotten eggs as
forewarned. It is actually the smell of
sulphur that is so strong because of the steam and sulphurous gas from the
lake.

As soon as we reached the
lake, I was mesmerized by its natural beauty.
It was close to the Mt. Pinatubo crater lake that we have in the
country, but this one is so active and provides a wide panoramic setting.

The surrounding area is
actually heavily forested. We could see
the boiling steam on some points and there are shelters and simple resting
facilities for some visitors to rest after roaming around the sides of the
lake.

Kawah Puti lake is one of
the two craters which make up Mount Patuha and on that one afternoon, the
sizeable highly acid lake was whitish green.
Truly, a wonder of nature.

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About The Author

I am a CPA-lawyer by profession and a full-time wanderer. My tsinelas (slippers) have been my constant companion in my quest to discover the world we live in. No matter which part of the world I am, though oftentimes mistaken of a different nationality, I am always proud to wear my slippers, a mark of a Filipino wanderer.